Sceptres "Disappointed" With Performance Losing First Battle of Ontario

The Ottawa Charge won their home opener by a 3-2 score over the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday night at TD Place.

The first Battle of Ontario was marked by some tentative play for the first five minutes but Ottawa had the puck in the offensive zone more consistently than the Sceptres.

The crowd seemed a little subdued and didn’t react to the returning Daryl Watts (who played for Ottawa last season and signed with Toronto as a free agent)

At six minutes in, Ottawa defender Aneta Tejralova delivered a beautiful pass with speed on the left side to Alexa Vasko who sent rookie Mannon McMahon in alone on Toronto’s Kristen Campbell. McMahon slipped it between Campbell’s pads to the delight of the home crowd.

McMahon said, “I think it was like a surprise almost, just going out there doing my job. I got a nice pass from Vasko and found myself alone with the goalie, so it was amazing. Just a good team win today so it’s nice to add to that.”

However, Ottawa’s penalty trouble reared its head again when Danielle Serdachny took a hard interference penalty on Sarah Nurse.

It took all of five seconds on the power play for Nurse’s faceoff win to Hannah Miller to result in a quick shot, which Nurse actually tipped in while she was screening netminder Emerance Maschmeyer. The period ended in a 1-1 tie, with shots even at 8 each.

Miller is off to a hot start this season after re-signing as a free agent. She extended her point streak (dating back to last season) to five games .

A “No Escape” shift had an impact again in the second period after Toronto’s Victoria Bach took a penalty and the four players were tired from an extended shift prior to the PK. Nurse, Watts, Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque had to stay out for the penalty kill, but managed to keep the power play at bay and changed, but there was continued chaos, and a scramble in front had Campbell down and out although Ottawa’s Anna Meixner couldn't roof it over the sprawled netminder.

Toronto took the edge late in the second when a net-front scramble and a loose puck slid under Maschmeyer in the crease, and after Lauren Bernard swatted it, rookie forward Izzy Daniel sent it into the open net for her first PWHL goal. It was the first five-on-five goal for the Sceptres this season.

In the third, special teams were in the spotlight again after Jesse Compher took a penalty and the Ottawa power play cashed in.

With a heavy screen in front, defender Jincy Roese skated in and shot high, catching Campbell unsighted.

The crowd became more energized and began to boo Watts heavily each time she touched the puck as Toronto pushed to regain the lead.

With Toronto playing some loose hockey, it was the Czech connection with Kateřina Mrázová grabbing a puck and skating neatly around Jocelyne Larocque and connecting with her country mate Tereza Vanišová with a beautiful saucer pass. Vanišová neatly put it over Campbell’s pad on her forehand.

Toronto pulled Campbell for an extra attacker but couldn’t get the equalizer.

Coach Troy Ryan said after the game, “I think the one thing that our group has to do is — and I hope they do a better job – is just playing with a little bit of structure and a little bit of purpose.”

“We had a pretty direct conversation just after the game, I just I know that group is better. So, you know, in a way you want people to be disappointed in the performance.”

Ottawa is now 1-0-1-0 on the season, while Toronto is 1-0-0-1.